Peleans
The Peleans, often mistakenly called demons, are an oceanic race who excel in seafaring and are quite isolated. Very few Peleans have left their homelands. Background Appearance The most distinguishing features of the Peleans are their great horns and pointed tails. They also boast completely black eyes and matte skin tones of red, yellow, blue and purple. They are of a heavier bone structure, some claiming that their bones are made of obsidian. Culture There is one singular ruler of the Peleans, Mama Pelemea. Pelemea is a deathless being who is both immortal and shapeshifting. She claims to be the personification of the only active volcano on the islands, namely, Pelemea. The Peleans have no magical capabilities but boast a powerful connection to elemental fire. They believe they are the clay that Donnergal shaped and Pelemea fired. This does connect to their own physical resistance of heat as they cannot be burned no matter the temperature. The Peleans have inhabited and charted every island within their sea via double-hulled canoes with sails of red, yellow and purple. A common life and death practice is that the birthing mothers will go into the lava baths and the oldest members of the tribe will go into the vents of Pelemea to sacrifice their life to make room for the new members. The birthing mothers bathe their young in the lava of Pelemea and then proceed to regain their strength by submerging fully into the lava baths. History Origins The oldest of the Pelean Creation stories seems to follow the belief that Pelemea blessed the romance of the God of Death, Donnergal, and his human mate, creating the Pelean race. It recounts the tale of the two lovers, one divine and one mortal. Donnergal and his mate fled to the Hell Isles when it was realized that the mate was pregnant. Pelemea took the woman into her body and gave birth to 100 children, 4 of which were violet in color and one of which was golden-skinned. The rest were blue and red. The children were largely humanoid, like their mortal mother, but retained the horns, ears, and tails of their father. Because of Pelemea's influence, the Peleans tend to have some abiotic traits. They are opportunistic eaters and can go weeks without eating. They maintain relatively high body temperature and are said to have molten lava mixing with their blood in their heart chambers. The most prevalent family of Peleans are the descendants of the violet children, of the surname Jenkins. This family oversees the Donnergal-centered leg of the Orthodox Church. The descendants of the golden child serve as Pelemea's consort for their whole life, similar to the way monks are dedicated to their gods. Notable Peleans * Archbishop Virgil Jenkins: the oldest living member of the Jenkins Peleans, the alderman of Cumbricca * Bishop Gethen Jenkins (excommunicated): the son of Archbishop Jenkins * Neema Rutledge: the lost child of Bishop Gethen Jenkins, a common prostitute in Ewsel * Emil Bergstrom: a mercenary who earned the nickname "the Red Beast" due to his appearance and brutality * Father Castor Jenkins: a priest and son of Bishop Gethen Jenkins, sole heir to Archbishop Jenkins' estate and title * Sister Elisabetta Jenkins: an orthodox nun and daughter of Bishop Gethen Jenkins * Fretriika: the "Ruby of the North," one of the few Peleans to leave Hell Isle, mother of Emil Bergstrom